Monday Morning Mock: NBA Mock Draft 2.0

The NBA draft processes continues to roll forward players have made their decisions on their professional future. As each team begins to get a real sense of the player pool and what they can do in pre draft workouts, our second mock draft shows a more predictable picture of what could come.

Notable Highlights

Explaining and justifying why these picks are where each team lands would be hard. As we inch closer to the draft and continue to update our mock, our final mock draft will feature detail by pick. In our Monday Morning Mock, we are going to work through four highlights.

Return of Terquavion Smith

 The presumed first round pick decided to return to NC State in what was, by all accounts, a bit of a shocking decision. This shook up almost every first round mock draft online because Smith was such a highly touted prospect after a strong combine. Figuring out where each team landed without Smith created a string of dominos all the way down to pick #60. Three of the most notable movers in this are Walker Kessler, Jalen Williams and Dalen Terry who all rise into the first round. The Spurs take Kessler to address the uncertainty around their big man issues long-term, not expecting Kessler to play real rookie minutes. Add in that Nikola Jovic is rising and this forces Dallas to bet big on Jalen Williams of Santa Clara. While Golden State takes a versatile guard with high upside in Terry. 

With the pieces always moving it is hard to know exactly where each player will fall on draft day but the exclusion of Smith is going to move the meter going forward. 

Golden State of Mind

The Warriors, at the time this article was written, are currently tied 2-2 in the NBA Finals but it is never too early to start thinking about the next step. Draymond has been frustratingly unplayable at times and it feels like the retooling of the Warriors dynasty needs to continue even if they are winning. In this draft they address an array of needs and get Poole (22), Moody (20), Kuminga (19), Wiseman (21) and Looney (26) additional future assets to keep their title hopes alive in a world without the current big three. 

In the first round the Warriors select Dalen Terry, a dynamic combo guard that can run an offense but also play off ball if necessary. While Terry has ample room to grow the Warriors are still talented enough that he will benefit from time in the G-League and a slow integration into the main roster to learn from Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. Sharing the court with Poole as a distributor and offensive initiator is something the Warriors will need going forward even if Curry is currently playing at an All-Time level. In the second round, they take another future Warrior and a stash player as an insurance policy for guard depth. Jaylin Williams has been a hot name in the draft process and in my opinion it has been hard to measure how high or low he could go. In reality he could have a chance to be a surprise first round (should still be Golden State) but assuming he is available in the second round he could be a starter if developed correctly. Williams would be the perfect mentee for Draymond Green and even though Green has been the glue keeping Golden State together they have to address the elephant in the room as soon as possible. Williams has all the attributes to be a similar player to Green and would benefit drastically from being able to learn from him. He may find time at the NBA roster depending on the front court situation next year but would also be suited for the G-League. With their last pick they select a stash player in the form or Matteo Spagnola who would serve as an international prospect they can bring over if/when they feel he is ready. 

Overall, the Warriors would have a winning draft if they could secure Terry and Williams. Versatility and turning upside into results keeps championship teams “alive” even after the players who started their run are gone. If the Warriors keep betting on young talent they should have no problem maintaining Spurs like success for the foreseeable future. 

#19 Minnesota Timberwolves: Ty Ty Washington: A consistent pick in most mock drafts is Ty Ty Washington at number 19. Washington is a dynamic guard that can play both positions, has a high basketball IQ, and works at both ends of the floor. His offensive and defensive ability will help him slot into any team. While he doesn’t have “elite” size or athleticism for his position, it won’t mitigate his success at the NBA level. A top guard in this class, with the buzz surrounding D’Angelo Russell, which makes a trade seem inevitable at this point, the Kentucky guard would slot in nicely with Karl Anthony-Towns and Anthony Edwards. 

#21 Denver Nuggets: Jaden Hardy: Hardy has had an erratic draft stock since his decision to play for the G-League Ignite. Once considered a top five pick in the draft his less than consistent season in the G-League really saw him trending down on boards. After the combine, even considering he did not participate in scrimmages, it feels like most teams are comfortable betting on his upside over everything else. He gave NBA organizations enough to say they can see him developing into a star and with a “win now” team like Denver looking for another spark in their rotation this would be an ideal fit for both. The Nuggets will be anxiously awaiting the return of Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. next year and by adding Hardy will be in an even better position to win. A true microwave scorer Hardy has the ability to get a bucket anywhere anytime. Moving Bones Hyland to point guard and Hardy to shooting guard, even though they would be playing position less, on the second unit seems inevitable even if it isn’t game one of the season.